


Changes

by Prettywitchiusaka



Category: Tetsuwan Atom | Astro Boy
Genre: Depression, F/M, Gen, Married Couple, estranged couple
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-04
Updated: 2017-05-03
Packaged: 2018-10-27 20:47:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10816461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prettywitchiusaka/pseuds/Prettywitchiusaka
Summary: Based on the 2003 series. Hoshie finds herself having fun on a day off with Astro, and Zoran, but is finding it hard opening up to them about her past. Things might change however, when she is gets a visit from an unexpected guest. Some Hoshie/Tenma in chapter 3





	1. Change One; Food

_"You don't really care about me, do you?" she asked._

_Once he heard that, Tenma just stared at his wife, allowing her words to sink in for him. Of course, she did not notice this. By now, her gaze was on the rocky ground beneath her, watching her tears hit the solid earth._

_"I'm sure that when it's time, you'll just dispose of me too, right?" she asked._

_Of course, she could no longer see the ground by this point as her tears began to cloud her vision. Though really, she could care less about that as she buried her tearful face into her hands. Her shoulder shook violently as she continued her sobbing, her wails getting louder with each passing second._

_Suddenly, she felt a pair of lanky arms wrap around her body, and embraced her in a tight hug. She said nothing as he pulled her into his embrace. If anything, she was too dazed to process that his arms held her so tightly, or even that she could feel his breath tickle the very top of her scalp._

_"I would never dream of hurting you, my darling Hoshie," he said._

_Hoshie said nothing, she simply allowed his words to sink into her. Was this just a dream? Could he really be here, telling her these things? Was he-_

"Hoshie? Hoshie?"

"Huh?" she said.

The young woman then turned around, only to remember where she was, and who was with her. She was right in front of her house, about to open the door. Astro and Zoran were right behind her, sporting different expressions. Zoran looked confused, while Astro seemed concerned.

"Oh, Astro. Zoran," she said.

"You haven't opened the door yet. Are you okay?" Astro asked.

"Oh, I'm fine. Just spaced out looking for the keys, that's all," she explained.

She then dug her hand into her purse as she began looking for the keys to her home. She rummaged through her purse for what felt like an hour, before she finally found the keys. With a huge smile beaming brightly on her face, she turned around to face the door. But as she did, she felt her arm slip . Realizing it was from the weight of her purse, and the grocery combined, she simply let the bags slide back onto her elbow.

"Oh, this silly thing sure is heavy," she said.

She chuckled, much to their dismay.

"At least it's not as heavy as when she took it to the counter," Astro said.

"I know; not even Dr. O'Shay eats that much for a midnight snack," Zoran replied.

Astro simply stared at her. He had already been concerned when Hoshie admitted that she could not cook very well, but once she said that she had at least a weeks supply of instant ramen stocked in her kitchen, he could not help but wonder if she really did take good care of herself.

Before he could dwell on that thought for long, Astro suddenly heard a little tune that caught his

attention, one that sounded very close. And sure enough, he turned his head, to see Zoran. She was rocking back and forth on her feet while she hummed that little tune, almost as if she were a little kid who could not wait to open their Christmas presets. Seeing this display, he couldn't help but crack a smile.

"I know you're excited, but you shouldn't rock on your feet so much," he said.

She stopped her rocking as she turned to face her brother.

"Sorry, I just can't wait! I've never taught someone to cook before. Just think about all of the knowledge can bestow upon a new generation!" she replied.

Astro cringed a bit.

"Uh, Zoran, are you sure about this?" he asked.

"Well, you saw what she was eating. She can't live off of cupped ramen for the rest of her life," she explained.

"Yeah, but you're not exactly world's cleanest chief," he reminded her.

"So? Who cares if it gets a little messy!? What matters is the food that comes out of it," she explained.

Astro sighed as she went into her usual spiel.

"Great Master Chiefs never think of messes first. All we're concerned with is making the best dish we can. Just like that duck I made last week," she explained.

He just gave her an annoyed stare.

"What Master Chief strikes a match and almost throws it in the oven while its cooking? You're

lucky Dr. O'Shay wasn't home," he said.

"Well how was I suppose to know the gas was on!?" she defended.

"Is something wrong?"

Hearing that sweet voice, the siblings turned to face a concerned looking Hoshie.

"Uh, nothing,"they replied.

Hoshie just flashed a smile.

"That's good," she replied.

The two simply let out a nervous chuckle, Astro even rubbed the back of his metal head. Upon seeing that the door to Hoshie's house is open, they followed her inside.

Tough unbeknownst to them, a familiar looking robot dog was hiding in the bushes just across from the house. Its red eyes gave off an ominous glow as it ran across the street, and towards the little backyard. It jumped over the white picket fence, and ran as fast as it could. That is, until it saw something; a row of nicely trimmed bushes. It quickly jumped into the bushes, and sat down to keep from being noticed. It then focused its eyes on the kitchen window, keeping an ever watchful eye on Hoshie.

…

Astro stirred the rice for a bit, before smiling as he placed the lid on top of the silver pot.

"The rice is done, Hoshie," Astro said.

He places the pot on the counter.

"Oh, good. Now that's one less thing I'll need to worry about. Thank you, Astro," Hoshie said.

The little boy nodded as a little smile formed on his face. Hoshie did not notice however, since

she was busy dumping the chicken into the wok. Once she heard the meat beginning to sizzle, a confident smile formed on her face as she placed the cutting board in front of her. She then grabbed the nearest green bell pepper, and placed it on the cutting board.

"Wait, Hoshie."

Hoshie turned to face an pouty looking Zoran.

"You washed that cutting board, right?" Zoran asked.

"Was I suppose to?" Hoshie asked.

She just sighed.

"No, Hoshie. You either wipe the board with hot water, or you get a new one. We talked about this!" Zoran explained.

Zoran grabbed the board as she walked towards the sink, causing Astro and Hoshie to chuckle.

"Sorry about that. Actually now that I think about it, my husband warned me about that quite often," Hoshie replied.

Astro just stared at her as she pulled out another cutting board. It was not uncommon for her to mention her husband, let alone speak his name.

"Did your husband do lots of cooking?" Zoran asked.

Hoshie placed the bell pepper onto the new cutting board as she began to slice it.

"Well, actually-"

She felt someone grab her knife hand; it was Zoran. She lifted the knife until it was at an angle.

"Uhbububuh, knife on the diagonal," she said.

"Oh, right. Sorry," Hoshie replied.

Zoran beamed with confidence.

"Anyway, my husband could cook. But, he always came home late, so I was left to my own devices. Although, he would call to see how things were going. Why, he would even tease me,"

she explained.

She chuckled.

"I'd like to see HIM try to cook for a growing boy!" she replied.

She began to chop rather viciously, much to their shock, and surprise.

"Oh, sure. He'd always say "Don't worry, darling. I'll teach you how make a proper meal one day." But, of course, he'd spend the weekend working on his OWN PROJECTS!" she yelled.

"Hoshie!" they screamed.

Hearing their voices, she stopped as she began to reevaluate her surroundings again.

"Huh?" she paused. "Oh, sorry. I guess I was having an episode there."

"Uh, that's okay, Hoshie," Astro said.

She just chuckled.

"To be honest, I always thought it was sweet that he'd call to check-up on me…until he started mocking me. Thankfully, my son, who did help around the house, was nice enough to stand up for me," Hoshie explained.

Hearing this, Astro did a double take.

"You have a son? Wow! What's he like? How old is he? I'll bet he's really cute," Zoran replied.

She just gave the little girl a sad smile.

"Actually, he's no longer with us," Hoshie replied.

Astro just stared at that sad smile on her face with concern; this was not the first time she had dodged a question like that. If anything, she seemed to dodge any question concerning her past, even any questions concerning her past connection to him.

…

All was quiet at the dinner table. The lights were dim, yet warm and comforting as nightfall overtook the day. Even in the dim light, one could see the steam emitting from the curry, and that sleek shine the rice had. Hoshie began piling on the rice as Astro and Zoran sat there in complete silence. They watched as she filled her bowl past the rim with rice, then when she was done with the rice, they watched as she placed a huge chunk of curry on top of her rice.

Hoshie then blowed on the fork, before she took a bite. She took her time to chew the food, allowing herself to take in its taste and texture.

Of course, this did nothing for Astro, and Zoran. They simply sat on the edge of their seats, keeping their ever watchful eyes on the young woman as she ate her food.

"Is it good?" Zoran asked.

Hoshie said nothing; she simply finished eating, and placed the fork down on the table. As she did, a small smile surfaced onto her face.

"This is delectable," Hoshie said.

Hearing that made Astro smile, while his sister began to jump for joy,

"That's great!" Zoran said.

"Well, I couldn't have done it without both of your help," she paused. "I just hope I can remember everything I've learned today."

"Well, you just got to keep at it. No one becomes a master chief overnight," Astro explained.

"Yeah, it took me a few months to learn to cook before I became a master chief," Zoran replied.

Astro just stared at his sister, unsure of what to say.

"Anyway, cooking doesn't happen overnight. If you learn one dish today, you can learn another one tomorrow," he explained.

"Yes, but you both forget that certain talents come naturally to certain people," Hoshie explained.

"Well, you shouldn't let that discourage you. Dr. O'Shay once told me that just because you haven't found a talent, doesn't mean you don't have one," he replied.

"I have a talent," she replied.

"You do?" the siblings asked.

"Yes, it's just not applicable to everyday life," she explained.

"Really? What is it?" Zoran asked.

She gave a soft smile as she turned to face the grand piano in the corner.

"See that piano?" Hoshie asked.

"Yeah," the siblings replied.

"To me, that piano makes the most beautiful sound in the world," she replied.

She then stood up from where she sat and walked towards the piano, all while the siblings watched her. A small smile began to form on her face as she opened the Fall, and sat herself down on the piano seat. For awhile, she did not play a single note, something which confused the

two siblings. Once she did play however, they just sat there, completely entranced. The way her hands moved flawlessly across the keyboard, the graceful tune that piano produced, it was unlike anything they had ever heard, or seen before.

"That's amazing," Zoran said.

"Just like your cooking, right?" the young woman asked.

Outside, the robot dog sat in the bushes, its red eyes still locked on Hoshie. Of course, it was not really watching her. Its eyes merely served as a monitor or its owner; Tenma. Yet unlike previous stalking attempts, he had no evil scheme in the works.

If anything, he looks at peace as he sits in his lab chair. His eyes were closed, and a smile was clearly visible on his face as he allowed himself to be taken in by the melody she played so effortlessly.

As he let out a deep, relaxed sigh, he opened his eyes to stare lovingly at the young woman.

"You still play so beautifully," he paused. "Don't you, Hoshie?"

End Change One


	2. Change Two; Acquaintance

Zoran looked peaceful as she lie in Hoshie's guest bed. Her snores were light, her body was even curling into a little ball as the young woman placed a blue blanket over her. From where she sat, she could not help but smile at the sleeping girl. Neither could Astro, for that matter. Though it did not take long before turned to face Hoshie.

"Sorry about this, Hoshie," Astro said.

"Oh, don't worry about it. I used to play for my son after he had a bad dream, I remember he used to look so cute once he fell asleep!" Hoshie replied.

"You mean you used your music to soothe him?" he asked.

"Well sure. My music has different affects on people. The first time I played for my husband, I practically floored him, and he's a pretty skilled pianist himself," she explained.

She then let out a dreamy sigh.

"Of course, that was the night we fell in love" she explained.

She smiled and closed her eyes as she recalled that night, she even blushed a little.

"But weren't you already in love?" he asked.

"Oh yes, but that night we realized that we wanted to be together for the rest of our lives," she explained.

"Really? What was it like?" he asked.

She just giggled as she began to pat the top of his metal head.

"Oh, I can't tell you that silly," she replied.

"Oh, I see…", Astro said.

He just hung his head. Once again, she could not tell him something about herself. Though unlike any secrets about their past she was unwilling to discuss at this time, this did not even sound remotely secretive. What Astro had not noticed, was Hoshie staring at him. She looked concerned as she placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Oh, please don't be upset, Astro. It's just a memory that's very private," she replied.

"Really?" he asked.

"Cross my heart, and hope to die," she replied.

Hearing this, Astro just gave her a little nod in response. It did not take long however, before they both sat there, completely silent. As the silence perturbed, Hoshie let out a deep, awkward breath before glancing over to Astro; just what could she say to lighten the mood?

"No, Dr. O'Shay…"

That voice soon caught both Astro, and Hoshie off guard. Curious, they both turned to see Zoran. She was stirring in her sleep as she remained curled up in a little ball.

"I don't want to feed my shoes to the watermelon…," Zoran said.

A moment of silence passed, before Astro and Hoshie began to laugh. Or at least, until Astro remembered something.

"Oh, yeah. I should go phone Dr. O'Shay. See you downstairs," he said.

Without saying anything, he ran out of the room, though not before waving goodbye to Hoshie. In return, the young woman waved goodbye to him while she flashed a smile.

She looked over to Zoran, still sound asleep and curled up in a little ball. Seeing this, Hoshie could not help but smile as she bent over, and planted a kiss on her cheek. She then got up, and closed the door as she left the room. She began to walk down the stairs leading to the family room. She stopped when she saw something; it was Astro. He was on the phone talking to O'Shay. He looked happy, and for that, she smiled. Suddenly, she let out a deep, hoarse cough. Astro was just putting the phone back on the cradle, when he heard that sound and turned to face her.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Oh, it's nothing," she said.

He just stared at her with concerned eyes for a moment. Or at least, he did until Hoshie spoke up.

"Is everything alright?" she asked.

"Yeap. He'll be here to pick us up in the morning," he explained.

"Oh, I see,"she replied.

She then walked down the stairs, and sat herself down on the sofa. She closed her eyes, she even let out a sigh as she sank into the soft, baby blue couch cushions, allowing herself to enjoy this moment. After taking another deep breath, she opened her eyes to see Astro, still standing right by the phone. He seemed to be minding his own business, until he jolted upon noticing her. She simply gave him a smile as she began patting the spot on the couch beside her. Recognizing her gesture, he smiled as he walked over to the couch and sat in that same spot. As he did, she let out another relaxed sigh.

"This is nice," she paused. "It's not often I get to have visitors."

Astro turned to face her.

"But, what can you do when most of your friends live out of town?" she asked.

A smile was visible on her face, yet the only thing on Astro's face was concern.

"Oh, but enough about me," she replied.

She began patting his head, much to his surprise.

"What about you? Any big plans for tomorrow?," she asked.

He thought about this for a minute.

"Um, not really. I'm just going to help O'Shay out at the Ministry. But next weekend, we're going to go fishing again!," he explained.

"Really!? That sounds like fun!," she replied.

He just nods happily.

"The doctor's not very good at it though. I remember last time I'd caught this fish, and O'Shay tried to catch it. But before he could, he lost his balance and fell into the water. But that didn't matter to him; he just laughed it off while I helped him up," he explained.

Astro let out a small laugh as he recalled that memory. Hoshie smiled; his laugh was music to her ears.

"You must be very lucky to have someone like him," she said.

"Yeah, it's almost like he was my father," he replied.

The colour drained from Hoshie's face when she heard him say that.

"Oh," she paused. "Oh right, I forgot. I'm so sorry."

She turned away from his gaze as she said this. He noticed this however, and simply stared at her with curious eyes.

"Um," he paused. "That's okay."

"No, it's not. Dr. O'Shay told me all about what Dr. Tenma did to you, I shouldn't be asking you

about something that's not my business," she explained.

"Dr. O'Shay told you about my past ?," he asked.

"Oh, uh…," she paused. "Yes."

She forced a smile on her face as she said that. Thankfully, Astro did not seem to notice.

"You don't have to apologize," he said.

"You mean you don't mind ?," she asked.

Astro shook his head.

"I actually wish I could understand him," he explained.

"What do you mean ?," she asked.

"I don't have any memories of when I lived with Dr. Tenma, so all I know is what Dr. O'Shay told me. What I know is that he loved me. I'd like to believe that, but then I wonder why he shut me down. I don't know if it was something I did, and I'd like to know the answer. But then whenever I do see him, I'm not even sure if I could ever understand him," he explained.

Hoshie just stared at him, her expression before turning away was very somber.

"I know what you mean. My husband was the same way too," she said.

Curious, Astro turned to face her.

"His mind was always on something, always contemplating about things I just couldn't understand. In fact, sometimes it seemed like no matter how much we talked, I could never tell what he was thinking or how he felt. It could get very frustrating," she explained.

For awhile, Hoshie said nothing as she sat there, looking rather contemplative as she did. Astro noticed as he stared at her, a worried look in his eye as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Hoshie," he paused. "Do you like your husband ?"

"What ?", she asked.

"Well," he paused. "You're always talking about him, but a lot of the time you never have anything good to say about him."

Once he said that, Hoshie could not help but burst into laughter. Astro merely sat there, a confused look on his face as he watched her take in a few deep breaths before she spoke up.

"Oh, not at all. I'm actually quite fond of my husband. He's just very frustrating, that's all. He's stubborn, temperamental and arrogant. Not to mention, he's not satisfied unless he gets his way," she explained.

"But, I'm sure that's just one side of him, right?" he asked.

Hoshie paused for a moment.

"No, he's just a jerk," she replied.

Astro did not know what to say, especially once she started chuckling.

"But you know, it's because he acted like that, that no one ever saw his sensitive side," she paused. "He could be really sweet when he wanted to be…And he was always so sincere. He was

always trying to do the right thing, even when he didn't need to…"

Astro stared at the warm, loving look in her eye as she talked about him.

"Oh, but who am I kidding ? He probably got bored of me, that's probably why he's not around

anymore," she replied.

Astro felt upset by that statement. How could she be so hard on herself?

"That's not true! I don't think you're boring," he said.

At first, Hoshie was taken aback by that statement. In a way, it was something that Tobio would have said. Yet it was not Tobio who had said those words, it was Astro. He was simply being himself. Somehow, she felt overwhelmed by that thought, perhaps even overjoyed that it was him saying those words. She could even feel the tears welling up in her eyes as she placed her hands on his metal shoulders.

"You're a very sweet little boy," she paused. "I wish I could talk to you about anything…

Astro then looked at her, only to briefly see that sad smile on her face. That smile was soon replaced by a more reassuring one.

"Oh well, someday. Right ?"

Astro stared at her.

"Uh…right!" he replied.

She gave him another smile.

….

As light bathed through the crack in the door, Hoshie simply smiled at Astro's sleeping face; he looked so peaceful as he slept next to his sister. Slowly, she began to close the door as a yawn escaped her mouth. It was getting late, and she figured she had better get some sleep as she stretched her arms. She had a busy day ahead of her, after all. She walked to her bedroom, and opened the door. Upon doing so, she screamed when she saw a pair of red, glowing eyes staring at her from the window sill. When she turned on the lights, she saw that it was a robot dog. For some reason though, the dog looked familiar to her.

"Wait, isn't that-"

A hologram came out of the dog. Instantly, she recognized the lanky, confident man the hologram was projecting.

"Good evening, Hoshie," the man said.

"Tarou-chan?," she asked.

"I apologize for disturbing you so late at night. But you see, I need to speak with you," he explained.

End Change Two

 


	3. Change Three; Husband

Hoshie stood in the hallway, looking at a sleeping Astro and Zoran through a crack in the door. They looked so peaceful, and yet she could not bring herself to smile. She let out a deep sigh as she closed the door; had she really agreed to meet Tenma at Magauther Park? Just like he had asked? Apparently, it seemed so as she slowly walked down the staircase, trying not to make a sound.

She continued her way down the stairs. But then, she let out a gasp when she noticed that her white sun hat had fallen in front of her face. Since it was blocking her view, she stopped for a moment as she adjusted the hat. That was not the only thing different about her appearance; her make-up was the same, but now she wore a bright, yellow dress with a white-trimmed collar. The trimming continued down the middle, and even had a series of buttons that stretched from her chest, all the way down to her ankles.

Before Hoshie even knew it, she was back in the family room. She stopped completely though, when she saw the door. She stared at it in silence for a moment; her hand even clenched the railing as she did so. Finally, she took a deep breath and walked towards it. Once she was outside, she became surprised to see the robot dog sitting there, waiting for her. This time, she let out an aggravated sigh.

"Alright, take me to him," she said.

As if on command, the dog sat up from where it was sitting, and began to walk away from her. Without a second thought, she followed the dog out onto the dark street. She felt a bit nervous being out so late at night, but could at least take comfort in knowing that the street was lined with so many lights.

After a few minutes, they arrived at the park. The robot dog went at its normal pace, but Hoshie walked slowly along the park's concrete path. She felt a strange calm over take her as she looked around the darkened park. True, she could not make out anything. And yet, she could not help but crack a smile.

"It really looks different at night, doesn't it?" she asked.

She just let out a little chuckle.

"Why, I remember all those days Tarou-chan and I came here-"

"When we were still newlyweds."

Startled, Hoshie looked up to see a familiar, lanky frame; it was Tenma. A long, brown trench coat covered his body, while his hands remained hidden in his coat pockets. His head adorned a brown hat, while his face adorned his very familiar smirk.

"Good evening, Hoshie. I forgot you look good in yellow," he said.

Hoshie gave him a firm stare as she walked towards him.

"Don't get the wrong idea; money's tight right now, and I haven't had much time to go shopping," she explained.

Tenma chuckled.

"And yet, you look so dolled up for a midnight stroll," he replied.

Hoshie glared at him, trying her best to keep the blush on her cheeks hidden.

"Can we please get this over with? I have company over, and I'd rather be at home to attend to them," she explained.

"You have company?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied. "Astro and Zoran are staying the night, and I don't want them thinking I ran off on them. You know?"

"Did you enjoy yourself?" he asked.

For a moment, Hoshie stared at him; he actually looked interested in what she had to say.

"Uh," she paused.

She shook her head before speaking up again.

"Yes. Oh, they're such good children. Why, they even taught me how to cook curry today!"

"You were…cooking?" he asked.

"Yes. What's wrong with that?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing. I'm just glad for you that your guests have no sense of taste," he replied.

She began to fume up.

"Hey; YOU try cooking for two picky eaters, it's not easy!" she explained.

"But I have cooked before. And as I recall, you enjoyed it," he replied.

A smirk formed on his face, much to her frustration. By now, it was clear he was getting a kick out of her reactions, as he usually did. At first, Hoshie simply allowed herself to be overcome with anger as she stared at his arrogant smirk. Though eventually, she began to bite hard on her lip as she took a few deep breaths in and out. It was best not to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"What do you want? Or did you just come here to insult me?" she asked.

His smirk turned into a confident smile.

"The answer is simple, Hoshie," he said. "I want you at my side."

Hoshie felt herself fall into a daze upon hearing that; had she really heard him right?

"What?" she asked. "But…why?"

"I told you before that I have no intention of hurting you, Hoshie. But I cannot guarantee your safety either. If you came with me, then I can ensure your security," he explained.

She raised an eyebrow at him.

"That's your only reason?" she asked.

He chuckled.

"Well I must admit; the idea of having my wife at my side is just too good to pass up," he explained.

She merely sighed; it was typical Tenma. Though before she knew it, she felt in her eyes widen when he held out his hand to her.

"So what do you say?" he asked.

She remained silent, allowing for herself to be lost in thought for awhile. Of course, she knew right away that her answer would be no. But then a thought occurred to her; if he was this willing to please her, then perhaps she could humour him for a bit. That is, if it meant getting some

answers like she wanted.

Her mind made up, she looked up to face her husband again.

"I have some questions I'd like to ask you," she said.

He gave her a confused look.

"Questions?" he asked.

"Yes. I want answers," she replied. "And we do it on my terms; yes, I will listen to what you have to say. If I like what I hear, then I'll consider your offer. But if I don't, then you have to promise to leave me alone."

"Done," he said.

Hearing this made her raise an eyebrow.

"Just like that?" she asked.

"Yes, now what would you like to know?" he asked.

"Oh, well, um," she paused.

She began to think about this as she tapped her finger against her cheek. Nothing came to her for awhile, all except for one particular topic.

"I remember last time we talked, you mentioned something about robotic evolution. What did you mean?" she asked.

He just gave her that confident smirk she knew all too well.

"I'm surprised you haven't noticed it already. Don't you remember the last time you saw Astro fight?" he asked.

The young woman crossed her arms as she thought about her husbands question. He certainly had fought differently in contrast to the first time they met. Back then, Astro had fought Skunk almost indirectly; avoiding almost every chance he could to hurt the notorious gangster, and his cronies. Though once he was up against Tenma's robot, he did not hold back. He dodged attacks with self defines techniques, he threw punches when he had the chance, he even tossed that robot over his head without even breaking a sweat. Clearly, her husband had a point.

"You mean him getting stronger? Isn't that natural?" she asked.

"Yes, but he only survived thanks to his ability to adapt faster," he replied.

"Faster?" she asked.

"Exactly. You see, Hoshie, robots are becoming far more advanced than we could have ever predicted. In just the twenty or so years they have been around, robots have gone from being simple machines, to more complex beings in less time," he explained.

"So? Humans evolve as well," she replied.

"Yes, but only intellectually. We simply lack the body structure to evolve physically. But robots, their lack of an organic body has allowed them to evolve at a much more fascinating rate than our own species. At this point, it only makes sense that they would be demanding their rightful

independence," he explained.

"Is that why you've been stalking Astro," she asked.

"Astro harnesses an extraordinary amount of power in his tiny body, it makes him a perfect fit for the ruler of robots," he explained.

Hoshie just bit down hard on her lip.

"I see," she paused. "And I assume that he's been meeting your expectations?" she asked.

He gave her a smile.

"I can safely say that I am very proud of his progress. Though I do wish he wouldn't have such," he paused. "Complacent influences…"

Hearing that, she could not help but stare sadly at her husband.

"I wish you wouldn't say things like that, Tarou-chan. I'm sure that if you got to know Astro, you'd grow to love him. He's sweet, and kind, and thoughtful of those around him," she replied.

"I know he is, but kindness will only get him so far. If he is to reach his full potential, he has to be challenged," he explained.

Hoshie could now feel her hands tensing up.

"Even if it means having to hurt him?" she asked.

Tenma let out a small sigh.

"Please try to understand, Hoshie. If I allow Astro's growth to continue as it has been, then his evolution will become stagnant," he replied.

"Have you ever considered that it's not what he wants?" she asked.

"This is not about what Astro wants," he replied.

"No! It's about what you want! It's always about what you want!" she replied.

Tenma simply gritted his teeth

"You would prefer to keep letting him perform simple tasks?" he asked.

"What does it matter what I want? He's free to do as he pleases," she replied.

The lanky scientist raised an eyebrow in response.

"That's quite the statement for a mother," he replied.

"Oh, and you're any better? You know, Astro talked about you tonight. He would LOVE to know just what you're thinking," she replied. "Let alone, if you actually care about him."

He just gave her a serious looking stare.

"Really? And I assume that Astro knows who you really are?" he asked.

"Uh," she paused. "Well, not exactly…"

He began to chuckle.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"Well, you seem to have no problem criticizing my methods. And yet, you're dirtying your hands as well," he replied.

Hoshie said nothing; she just stood there, letting his words sink in.

"Do not get the wrong idea, Hoshie. I can understand your concerns. But you and I both know that Astro is not a stupid child. Eventually, he will start to get suspicious. Or has he already?" he asked.

The young woman simply pouted before turning away from his gaze.

"Maybe," she paused. "But why should he have to know? He's not Tobio anymore."

"But he is our son, isn't he?" he asked.

She turned back to face him, her blue eyes now lit with anger.

"If you think I'm going to let you tell me-"

Suddenly, Hoshie found herself becoming victim to yet another coughing fit. Tenma just stared at

her with concern in his eyes.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine; I'm just a little under the weather, that's all," she explained.

He just gave her a sigh.

"Well it wouldn't kill you to go see a doctor. Honestly, you never think of yourself," he replied.

"Oh sure, now you care," she replied.

Tenma raised an eyebrow at her response.

"I'm not allowed to show concern for my wife?" he asked.

"No. I just think that if you're going to treat Astro so horribly, you might as well give me the same treatment," she explained.

Tenma simply stared at her with contemplative eyes.

"I can't let that happen, Hoshie," he replied.

"And what's that suppose to mean?" she asked.

"It means that I can't afford to lose you," he replied.

Hoshie felt her eyes widen in surprise as she stared at him.

"What?" she asked.

"Hoshie, all I ask of you is your happiness, and your trust. I want you to be able to come to me for comfort and advice, as we used to do for each other," he explained.

The young woman just stood there for awhile, completely dazed at this point. If she was being honest with herself, she knew that there was a part of her that wanted to believe him, to trust his word as she had always done. And as she stared at that soft smile that adorned his face, she felt that might just be swept away. But even so, she felt the cold, hard grip of reality come crashing down on her as she tightened her hand into a fist. There was just something she could not ignore.

"Alright," she paused. "Then tell me; what happened that night at the Ministry? Why did you shut Astro down? Why did you leave me by myself for six months, and never bother to call me up?" she asked.

As he heard this, the smile that Tenma once felt graze his face slowly faded away. He watched as his wife stood there, demanding an answer. And yet for the first time in some time, he did not know what he could possibly say to her. Eventually, he let out a sigh as he refocused his gaze to the ground below him.

"I can't say," he paused.

"You can't say?" she asked.

"Do not worry though, in time you will under-"

"Don't give me that! You said you want my trust, didn't you? Well, how can you expect me to trust you if you can't even answer one simple question?" she asked.

He remained silent.

"Answer me, Tarou-chan!" she said.

"Hoshie, if I told you what happened, I'm quite certain you would be disgusted with me," he replied.

"How do you know that?" she asked.

Tenma fell silent upon hearing this; as much as he hated to admit it, she did have a point. But

given her own moralities, how could he be certain she would be okay with what he had done. Armed with that knowledge, he looked up to face his wife, but was surprised when he saw she was on the verge of tears.

"I've always been good to you, haven't I?" she paused. "Well, haven't I?"

She fell silent after saying that. She could feel her hands shaking her lip even began quivering. She tried to ignore this, and instead focus on Tenma. Right now, she wanted nothing more than to see the look on his face. To know just what it was that he would answer with. Yet, the tears forming in her eyes had blurred her vision. Unable to hold them back any longer, she simply cried into her hands. After what felt like forever, she felt a pair of hands gently place themselves on her shoulders. When she looked up, all she saw was Tenma

"What are you-"

He said nothing; he just wiped the tears away from her eyes. She fell completely silent at this gesture, unsure of what to say as her mind continued to process the last few moments. In her dazed state, she looked into his eyes. Once blue met grey, a small gasp escaped her mouth. His eyes were filled with such regret, such concern, just as they had been during their last encounter.

In that moment, she felt herself let go of everything as they moved their faces closer to each other, allowing for their lips to finally meet. She wrapped her arms around his neck, while he wrapped his around her waist, it did not matter. In that moment, she forgot all about Astro, all about Zoran, even everything that happened the past few months. She simply wanted to be lost in his loving embrace, just as she had once been.

After what seemed like an eternity, they finally broke their kiss for some air. Hoshie could feel that she was a bit lightheaded, and allowed herself a moment to catch her breath. Once she saw Tenma's face however, her lightheadedness melted away as she became enveloped back into the moment.

"Please come back to me, Hoshie. I promise I can make it worthwhile for you," he replied.

Hoshie stared at him in silence; he had such a warm, loving look in his eyes. She knew then that she was not talking to some mad man, but rather her husband.

Just knowing that, was enough to make her smile. Yet there was something at the back of her mind that kept nagging at her, something that she almost forgot; Astro. Now feeling the blush crawling up her cheeks, the young woman ripped herself out of his embrace. She then stood at attention, attempting to look professional.

"Um…", she began. "I have one more question I'd like to ask you. Suppose you do succeed, what will become of humanity?"

At first, Tenma was confused by what had just happened. But as he watched his wife's face, his answer became clear. She still looked very flustered from what had just happened between them, even the blush from her cheeks had not completely gone away. It was enough to make him chuckle as he smiled at her.

"It makes no difference to me," he replied.

She stared at him in confusion.

"What?" she asked.

He then took her hands into his; he even stared into her confused, blue orbs with a loving look in

his eyes.

"The only human I care about is you, Hoshie. No one else matters," he explained.

"But," she paused. But-"

Was all she could say as she stared at him; she could not have been hearing him correctly, right?

"Don't you see, Hoshie. We don't matter in the grand scheme of things. Once robots become the dominant species of this planet, they will do whatever they wish to us. So it makes no difference what we do. All I want is to ensure that you are safe from that massacre; the only way I can do that is to keep you at my side," he explained.

"But," she paused. "But Tarou-chan, you'll be killed too if that happens," she replied.

He chuckled.

"I sincerely doubt that," he paused. "You see, I intend on becoming a robot myself when the time is right."

She just stood there as she took his words in; had he really just said that to her?

"And if you join me, then I will do the same for you," he replied.

Now she felt numb as she stared into his eyes. Tenma however, noticed this.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Hoshie?"

The lanky scientist just stood there; he was not sure of what just happened. All he knew was that his wife looked as if she had seen a ghost. He wanted to comfort her, but before he could say anything, he was surprised to see her pull her hands out of his as she slowly walked away from him. This just confused him even more as he stared at her. She looked so fragile to him as she continued to stand in place, she even hugged her body as it began to shake violently. "Why is she behaving like this?", he thought to himself, even as he reached out to grab her hand. Without warning, he felt his hand being swatted away. He stood there for a moment, completely dazed as he tried to comprehend what just happened. When he looked up to see her, she seemed a mix of sad and angry.

"Hoshie, what-"

"Are you listening to yourself!? How can you…How could you even…"

She could not even finish speaking. Words wanted to escape her mouth, and yet they refused to come. She could feel her body growing shakier, her emotions overtaking her as her vision finally blurred with tears. She buried her face in her hands as she began to sob.

"Hoshie," he paused. "Hoshie, I'm so sorry-"

"Just go, she replied.

"But, Hoshie-"

"Please! Don't make me hate you," she replied.

Once he heard that, Tenma allowed his hands to retreat back into his coat pockets, though regrettably. He did not want to leave her like this, but he had no choice; she did not want to see him. She did not want his comfort. What she wanted, was for him to leave her alone, just as he had promised. With a small sigh, he returned to his jet glider, and placed his feet firmly on the device.

For whatever reason though, he turned back once more to face Hoshie. By now, she had been reduced to her knees as she continued to ball into her face. Tenma simply stared at her with

concerned eyes; right now, he wanted nothing more than be with her. Somehow, he had the courage to actually look away before finally taking off. The last thing he wanted now was to be reduced to tears himself.

"Hoshie!"

Said a small, recognizable voice; it was Astro. Slowly, he landed himself onto the sidewalk below him. Once he could feel the ground beneath his feet again, he ran over to the young woman. His hands reached out to grab her shoulders as he got down on one knee. Already, he could see that she was not alright when he saw that her hands were covering her face, as well as muffling her wails.

"Hoshie? Hoshie, it's Astro. What ha-"

Before Astro could say anything else, his sensitive hearing picked up a nearby sound. Curious, he turned around to see where the sound was coming from. Upon turning around, he became surprised see a familiar looking jet glider making its way through the air. For awhile, the boy stared at the increasingly small object in the sky. His big, brown eyes staring in confusion; "there's no way it could be him, could it?" he thought to himself. His thoughts were cut off though, when he heard the disturbing wails of the woman he had come looking for.

He turned to face her, but became concerned when he saw that she had begun to cough from how hard she had been crying.

"Hoshie, are you alright? What happened?" he asked.

"Just take me home," she replied.

Astro did not know what to do once he heard that. Instead, he just stared in concern at her distraught, emotional state for a moment before helping her up onto her feet. Without saying anything to each other, they began to make their way home.

End Change Three


	4. Final Change: Friend

_"Please come back to me, Hoshie."_

_"I intend on becoming a robot myself when the time is right."_

_"I will do the same for you."_

_"Come back to me."_

_"Come back to me."_

_"Come back to me."_

Hoshie awoke with a jolt. Her chest felt tight, and her heart was beating rapidly and she continued to pant heavily. Placing her hand on her chest, she began to take in a few deep breaths while she checked her surroundings. In her dazed state, she looked around for awhile before she realized where she was. She was in her living room, sitting on her comfy, blue couch.

"Hoshie?"

Startled, she turned around to see a familiar face; it was Astro.

"Astro," she said.

"Are you feeling better now?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm alright," she replied. "What time is it?"

"It's 6:30 now. It was just after two when we got home, so you've been asleep for awhile," he explained. Oh, right!"

Faster than she could ask him, Astro ran out of the family room, and into the kitchen. Hoshie just sat there, completely confused. She saw him come back a few seconds later, and her eyes widened when she saw what he was carrying. In his right hand, he was holding onto a white tea cup decorated with flower trimming. And in his left hand, he carried a matching white saucer.

"I made you some tea, but it's probably cold by now," he explained.

Hoshie just smiled, even as she tried to cover the blush on her cheeks with her hand.

"Oh, that's quite alright. Thank you," she replied.

Astro handed her the tea cup, before seating himself right beside her on the couch. As he did, he could not help but stare at her. He watched as she took a sip of her tea, apparently not minding that it was cold. In fact, she seemed to be acting like herself. That that only made him stare at her with a concerned look in his eye.

"Hoshie," he began.

"What is it, Astro?" she asked.

"Well," he paused. "Who is Tarou-chan?"

Hoshie paused.

"Where did you hear that name?" she asked.

"You said it in your sleep," he replied.

Hoshie remained silent as she looked over at Astro. Her eyes widened though when she saw the look in his eyes. They looked so curious, so thirsty for knowledge. "No," she thought to herself

as she shook her head. And yet the longer she looked into his eyes, the more she could feel her hands tensing up around her dress. That expression was enough to make your heart melt if you were not careful. Sadly, she found that she could no longer resist. And thus, she let out a small sigh.

"Tarou-chan is my husband," she said.

"You mean that's his name?" he asked.

"No, it's just a cute pet name I came up with for him in college. You know, it's funny; I made up that nickname because he never liked his real name. But to be honest, I think he was more annoyed by my name for him than he was his own," she explained.

Hoshie let out a little giggle as those memories came flooding back to her. Of course, it did not matter that she looked happy. For Astro still could not ignore just how devastated she had looked when he found her in the park a few hours ago.

"Hoshie, is that why you were out last night?," he asked.

Once she heard that, Hoshie turned to face Astro. He had that look in his eyes again. The young woman just sat there, hesitating. It was hard, but eventually she chose to ignore his eyes as she let out a sigh.

"I can't say," she paused.

Astro just stared at her sadly before turning away.

"Oh, please try and understand, Astro-"

"Hoshie, why don't you trust me?" he asked.

She remained silent for a moment.

"What? Don't be silly. I trust you, Astro," she replied.

"No, you don't. If you did, you would have said something about leaving your house in the middle of the night," he explained.

"Astro, what happened tonight didn't concern you," she replied.

"But what if you had gotten hurt?" he asked.

"I wasn't in danger," she explained.

"How do you know that?" he asked.

"Uh," she paused. "Well I-"

"You can't tell me?" he asked.

The young woman just stared down at her dress, unsure of what to say. Her hands clenched into fists, she even bit down on her lower lip.

"Astro-"

"Do you think I'll judge you?" he asked.

"Well, I just don't know how you'll react," Hoshie explained.

"But who cares how I react?" he asked.

"I do! What I'm keeping secret is so personal, you could end up hating me for all I know," she explained.

"You don't know that!" he replied.

"You're-," she paused.

It had been the exact same response she had given Tenma.

"You're right…I don't know how you'll react."

She remained silent for a moment, completely lost in thought to even speak. By this point, the young boy gave her one last defeated look, before letting out a small sigh.

"It's okay, Hoshie. You don't have to speak if you don't want to. I'll just go back to bed until-," he said.

"I saw my husband tonight," she said.

Astro turned to face her with surprise on his face.

"Your husband? He didn't hurt you, did he?" he asked.

"No, he just wanted to talk," she paused. "He wanted me to come with him, but there's no way I could after everything he told me tonight."

"Did you want to go with him?" he asked.

She remained silent for a moment. To be honest, she knew exactly what she wanted to say. Yet for some reason, she just could not put her feelings into words regardless of how hard she tried.

Once again, she found her hands tighten around her dress as she sat there, unsure of what she could even say to him. Eventually, she finally began to cry into her hands. From where he sat, Astro just watched her with a surprised expression on his face.

"Of course I did! I wanted to believe we could make it work! I wanted to believe that we could work out our problems! But it's hopeless now!" she replied.

She continued to cry into her hands as Astro continued to stare at her.

"I can't believe how stupid I was," she paused. "I actually expected he would reconsider his actions. Even now, I wish he would just listen to me."

She just continued to sob into her hands. By now, her body looked as if it were having an allure from how much she was shaking, and her wails had been muffled by her hands.

"I'll listen to you."

Hearing that made Hoshie remove her hands from her face. Her eyes widened with surprise as she turned to face Astro. Only instead of wearing that worried expression she had become so acquainted with that night, this time he was wearing a determined look on his small face.

"If you need someone to talk to, then I'll listen to you," he replied. "Please, Hoshie, I don't want you to feel like you're alone when you're not."

For what had to have been the tenth time in a few hours, Hoshie could feel her eyes widen with surprise. She felt so overwhelmed, so overjoyed that he was accepting of her that all she could do was embrace him into a long, tight hug.

"Thank you, Astro," she replied. "Thank you…"

At first, Astro felt taken aback by her hug. Yet eventually, he felt a sense of calm come over him as he hugged her back.

After awhile, they finally broke their hug. As they did, Astro looked up to see her face, and was surprised by what she saw; she was smiling. Only instead of that sad, almost forced smile he had seen all night, this time she wore a genuinely pleasant smile on her face. And for that, he could not help but smile.

But as the moment began to pass, Astro felt like a lightbulb was going off in his head as he remembered something; something he had forgotten about this whole time.

"Zoran…"

"Zoran?" she asked. "Is something wrong with her?"

" I left a note on the nightstand, telling her where I'd be," he explained.

"Well," she paused. "You got rid of it when we came back, didn't you?"

"I'll save you, big brother!"

Curious, the duo turned around just in time to see Zoran bolting down the narrow staircase. Both of them were about to say something to her, but by then she had already zipped past them, and was running straight for the front door.

"Zoran?" they asked.

She was just about to turn the door knob, when she turned to face them.

"Oh hi, Astro. Hi, Hoshie," she replied.

She even waved at them, as if nothing were out of the ordinary before turning to face the door again. Zoran then placed her hand on the door knob, but before she opened the door, the little girl felt that something was off. Slowly, she turned around, only to find have her eyes widen at what she saw; it was Astro, and Hoshie sitting on the couch together.

"Hey, wait a minute. Hoshie's right here. Oh real nice, Astro. You know, just because I wouldn't let you cut the vegetables last night, doesn't give you the right to scare me!" she replied.

"It wasn't a prank, Hoshie really did leave last night," he replied.

"Oh sure, now it's your alibi," she replied.

"Would you just listen! I tried to wake you up, but you wouldn't budge. Since I couldn't wake you up I decided to go look for Hoshie," he explained.

"Well, you still should have let me know where you were going!" she replied.

"I left you a note, didn't I?" he asked.

Upon seeing this sight, Hoshie could not help but start to giggle. Hearing this, the duo turned to face her.

"What's so funny?" Zoran asked.

"Oh, nothing," she replied.

She let out a few more giggles that made Astro smile.

"Now, who wants to help me make breakfast?" she asked.

"Oh, I do!" the little girl said.

"Okay. But today, let's make something simple," he replied.

"Of course, silly. I am dealing with a novice, after all,"she replied.

"Yeah, but Zoran-"

Before Astro could say anything else, he noticed that his sister had already skipped her way into the kitchen.

"Zoran, wait!" he screamed.

Quickly, Astro ran into the kitchen after the little robot girl. Hoshie just watched from her place on the couch, unable to do anything but smile.

…..

Sometime later, Hoshie found herself getting ready to send Astro and Zoran off. O'Shay stood right behind them, staring at her with his warm, grateful smile.

"Thank you for last night, Hoshie. I hope they didn't cause you any trouble," O'Shay said.

"Oh nonsense, O'Shay. They behaved like little angels. Isn't that right?" she asked.

The siblings both nodded in happy unison.

"Now, you two take care. Oh, and try not to get into trouble," she replied.

As she said this, she turned to face Zoran. This did not go unnoticed by the little robot girl, who cringed as she let out a nervous chuckle.

"Is this because I almost ruined your stove this morning?" she asked.

"See? I told you that salmon omelette wasn't a good idea," he replied.

Zoran pouted.

"Yes. But don't forget, Astro; you get into just as much trouble as your sister," Hoshie replied.

"O'Shay and Zoran just started to laugh.

"That's so true," he replied.

In all honesty, Astro was not sure what he could say, or do as the duo continued to laugh at him. He just hung his head, staring at his feet as the blush came crawling up his cheeks.

"Oh, and Astro."

He looked up to see Hoshie.

"I have a lot of clients to tend to today," she paused. "But I'm free after six. I'll swing by and we can talk then, okay?"

At first, Astro just stared at the happy woman with an overwhelming feeling of surprise. At first, he was not sure he had heard her right. But once he looked into her confident, determined blue eyes, he realized that she was telling him the truth. As he accepted her words, the little boy allowed a big smile to surface on his face.

"Sure!" he said.

He stared at her with that adorable smile of his. It was such a heartwarming sight, she could not help but smile in return. This did not go unnoticed by O'Shay, who tilted his head in confusion.

"Did something happen?" the good doctor asked.

"I'll explain later. Anyway, you three run along now," she replied.

"Alright. Good bye, Hoshie," he said.

The good doctor then turned around, and began to head for his car, with Zoran and Astro trailing not too far behind.

"Goodbye, Hoshie. Thank you!" the siblings replied.

Hoshie waved goodbye before closing the door. She then sat down at the piano, and lifted up a picture; it was a picture of her family.

The picture was of Tenma, Tobio, and herself dressed in more sophisticated clothing. But instead of looking more elegant or refined, the picture was of Hoshie and Tobio tickling Tenma. It had been their attempt at getting the lanky man to lighten up for once in a photo. And fortunately for them, it worked. In that picture, he was just laughing away, not caring that he looked unrefined for once in his life.

As Hoshie stared at the picture, she could not help but let out a giggle as she placed it on top of the piano.

"Don't worry, Tarou-chan. I promise I'm not going to run away anymore," she said.

She then closed her eyes as she began to play the instrument. There was a smile on her face as she played a happy tune, a smile that was ready to embrace a new future.

The End


End file.
